Flying first glass: Virgin Atlantic kits out crew with Google specs
IF YOU happen to be flying with Virgin Atlantic out of Heathrow today, you may be met with a surprise. Never one to be left behind in technological adventures, Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic fleet will be trialling Google Glass – well, in the Upper Class Wing at least.
Concierge staff will meet customers in the Upper Class Wing wearing the head gear, enabling them to greet people by name, start the check-in process and update flyers on flight information before they’ve so much as said hello or pulled out their passports. The trial is expected to last six weeks and makes Virgin Atlantic the first airline to pilot (pardon the pun) the technology.
“By being the first in the industry to test how Google Glass and other wearable technology can improve customer experience, we are upholding Virgin Atlantic’s long tradition of shaking things up and putting innovation at the heart of the flying experience,” says Dave Bulman, IT director at Virgin Atlantic. They should really have them in red though, brand consistency and all that…
■ TRIUMPHANTLY showing off the UK’s female comedic talent, City spin doctor-cum-comedian Julia Streets organised a charity stand-up gig last night in the heart of the City. Streets, founder and chief executive of Streets Consulting, pulled off a side-splitting night in aid of Children In Crisis, with the help of four other female comedians, including Smack the Pony’s Sally Phillips. “It’s great to be here in the City,” said Phillips. “It must be a first for you, all these women on stage and nobody’s stripping!” The ensuing laughter proving even the old stereotypes make us giggle.
■ FORMER Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy has leapt into social media, wallet blazing, by both investing in and becoming a board member of fan science company Starcount. Sir Terry will be joining old Tesco comrades Clive Humby and Edwina Dunn – the pioneers behind the supermarket’s Clubcard – at Starcount. It is a social media insight and engagement company which uses platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to gauge how global celebrities and brands are performing. Sounds great – except Sir Terry Leahy doesn’t even have a Twitter account. Surely the former Tesco chief exec have can’t have much insight into the complex world of social media when he doesn’t partake in one of its biggest platforms. @SirTerryLeahy coming soon?